Absence and Attendance
Expectations
At Wormholt Park School, we expect all children to arrive on time by 8:45am and attend every day. Children have only 190 school days in a year, and we believe that every single one is important. Evidence shows there is a clear link between poor school attendance/punctuality and low levels of achievement. We expect all individual pupils to achieve at least 95% attendance. Any child who arrives at school after 8.50am will obtain a late mark. Children who arrive late not only miss a vital part of the day but also disturb the learning of the rest of the class. All lates will be monitored and recorded. Persistent lateness could result in a referral to the School Attendance Officer.
Parents/carers have a responsibility to notify the school on the first day of absence before 8:45am. A reason for absence must be provided and an expected return date given. Please inform a member of office staff or leave a message on the school answer phone. If possible, this should be followed up with a written explanation along with suitable evidence handed to the school office i.e. an appointment letter, a doctor’s note, a copy of a prescription or a label of medication. In cases where an explanation has not been provided, the absence may be unauthorised, and a letter will be sent to you. Unauthorised means the school is not satisfied with the reason of absence provided.
It is essential that all appointments such as routine check-ups or a visit to the dentist, optician or GP are booked out of school hours or in the holiday periods to avoid missing crucial learning time. If your child has any upcoming hospital appointments and you are required to collect them, please ensure you notify the school office beforehand and minimise this absence by taking as little time away as possible. Evidence will need to be provided for any hospital appointments in the school day.
We do not authorise holidays taken during term time and any absence/(s) taken for this reason will be marked as unauthorised unless there are exceptional circumstances. Unauthorised means the school is not satisfied with the reason of absence provided. You will need to complete a special leave request form at the school office to notify us of a leave such as this.
The school follow a supportive process should attendance fall below 95%. This includes family engagement, understanding barriers and putting support in place. We believe that by working together we can ensure every child receives their educational entitlement. We are happy to come and pick your child up from your home if you are too unwell to bring them in yourself.
We will refer pupils to the Hammersmith and Fulham Education School Attendance Officer if there is a cause for concern about unauthorised absence and/or lateness which has not been resolved through family and school engagement. In most circumstances each liable parent/carer could receive a Fixed Penalty Notice of £60 or further action being taken if the absenteeism persists. The same fine can be issued for unauthorised term time holidays of three days or more. If the penalty notice is not paid in full within 28 days, the local authority can prosecute for the offence. To help plan your holidays you will find our term dates on our fortnightly newsletter and the school website. Please ensure personal holidays are taken within the 13 weeks allocated for this.
The school and Hammersmith and Fulham Local Authority work closely together to ensure that all pupils attend school regularly and arrive on time and we hope that you will also support us in this. If you have any concerns regarding your child’s attendance or punctuality, please inform your child’s class teacher or a member of the school leadership team and we will do all we can to support you.
We are very proud of the achievements and progress of our pupils and are passionate about a child’s right to an education. This can only be achieved through good attendance to school.
Holidays and Leave During Term Time
From September 2013 the Department for Education issued new guidance on Holidays and Leave during term time.
As a result of this, all families should note the following:
• From September 2013, the Department for Education has removed the right for Head
Teachers to allow holidays during term time in any circumstances. No such requests can be
legally granted. A penalty notice will be issued if holidays are taken.
• Any other requests for leave during term time must be submitted in writing (on the school
request form – available in the school office), with dates, before the leave is taken. The
Head Teacher will then make a decision based on each individual case. If the leave is not
agreed, or if it is agreed and the child returns later than the original date given, a penalty
notice will be issued.
• If the reason for absence requested is illness of a relative the Head Teacher will, whilst being
sympathetic to each request, look for previous patterns of term time absence and discuss
with the parent whether it is necessary for their child to be absent. A medical certificate or
other proof of the situation might be requested. If the request is denied and the child is
removed from school, a penalty notice will be issued.
• Visits to relatives abroad during term time will not be authorised. The view of the school is
that normal visits should be conducted during the school holidays. A penalty notice will be
issued.
Genuine requests will be viewed objectively and considerately. The majority of our families try their very best to ensure that their children attend school regularly and are on time each day – thank you!
| Condition | Recommended period to be kept away from school (once child is well) | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chickenpox | For five days from onset of rash | It is not necessary to wait until spots have healed or crusted | |
| Cold sores | None | Many healthy children and adults excrete this virus at some time without having a ‘sore’ (herpes simplex virus) | |
| German measles | Five days from onset of rash | The child is most infectious before the diagnosis is made and most children should be immune to immunisation so that exclusion after the rash appears will prevent very few cases | |
| Hand, foot and mouth disease | None | Usually a mild disease not justifying time off school | |
| Impetigo | Until lesions are crusted or healed | Antibiotic treatment by mouth may speed healing. If lesions can reliably be kept covered exclusion may be shortened | |
| Measles | Five days from onset of rash | Measles is now rare in the UK | |
| Molluscum contagiosum | None | A mild condition | |
| Ringworm (Tinea) | None | Proper treatment by the GP is important. Scalp ringworm needs treatment with an antifungal by mouth | |
| Roseolla | None | A mild illness, usually caught from well persons | |
| Scabies | Until treated | Outbreaks have occasionally occurred in schools and nurseries. Child can return as soon as properly treated. This should include all the persons in the household. | |
| Scarlet fever | Five days from child commencing antibiotics | Treatment recommended for the affected | |
| Slapped cheek or Fifth disease (Parvovirus) | None | Exclusion is Ineffective as nearly all transmission takes place before the child becomes unwell. | |
| Warts and verrucae | None | Affected children may go swimming but verrucae should be covered | |
| Diarrhoea and/or vomiting (with or without a specified diagnosis) | Until diarrhoea and vomiting has settled (neither for the previous 24 hours) | Usually there will be no specific diagnosis and for most conditions there is no specific treatment. A longer period of exclusion may be appropriate for children under age 5 and older children unable to maintain good personal hygiene. | |
| E-coli and Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome | Depends on the type of E-coli seek FURTHER ADVICE from the CCDC | ||
| Giardiasis | Until diarrhoea has settled for the previous 24 hours) | There is a specific antibiotic treatment | |
| Salmonella | Until diarrhoea and vomiting has settled (neither for the previous 24 hours) | If the child is under five years or has difficulty in personal hygiene, seek advice from the Consultant in Communicable Disease Control. | |
| Shigella (Bacillary dysentery) | Until diarrhoea has settled (for the previous 24 hours) | If the child is under five years or had difficulty in personal hygiene, seek advice from the Consultant in Communicable Disease Control. | |
| Flu (Influenza) | None | Flu is most infectious just before and at the onset of symptoms | |
| Tuberculosis | CCDC will advise | Generally requires quite prolonged, close contact for spread on action. Not usually spread from children. | |
| Whooping cough (Pertussis) | Five days from commencing antibiotic treatment | Treatment (usually with erythromycin) is recommended though non-infectious coughing may still continue for many weeks | |
| Conjunctivitis | None | If an outbreak occurs consult Consultant in Communicable Disease Control | |
| Glandular fever (infectious mononucleosis) | None | ||
| Head lice (nits) | None | Treatment is recommended only in cases where live lice have definitely been seen | |
| Hepatitis A | See comments | There is no justification for exclusion of well older children with good hygiene who will have been much more infectious prior to the diagnosis. Exclusion is justified for five days from the onset of jaundice or stools going pale for the under fives or where hygiene is poor | |
| Meningococcal meningitis/septicaemia | The CCDC will give specific advice on any action needed | There is no reason to exclude from schools siblings and other close contacts of a case | |
| Meningitis not due to Meningococcalinfection | None | Once the child is well infection risk is minimal | |
| Mumps | Five days from onset of swollen glands | The child is most infectious before the diagnosis is made and most children should be immune due to immunisation | |
| Threadworms | None | Transmission is uncommon in schools but treatment is recommended for the child and family. | |
| Tonsillitis | None | There are many causes, but most cases are due to viruses and do not need an antibiotic. For one cause, streptococcal infection, antibiotic treatment is recommended | |
| HIV/AIDS | HIV is not infectious through casual contact. There have been no recorded cases of spread within a school or nursery. | ||
| Hepatitis B and C | Although more infectious than HIV, hepatitis B and C have only rarely spread within a school setting. Universal precautions will minimise possible danger or spread of both hepatitis B and C. | ||
Parents’ Guide to Attendance